Prospect of specialty maize as functional food to support food diversification in Indonesia

Abstract

Functional maize contains various advantages over normal maize in term of usage not only since milk stage but also harvest stage. Another advantage of functional maize is the diversity of colors such as read, yellow, purple, and black with different physicochemical character. Physicochemical character of maize is the main base to choose variety that appropriate with the preferred product, by count the functional food element. Maize color is the clue of high compound content that has health benefits. For example, anthocyanin contained in purple and black maize, carotene compound in yellow and red maize, Fe mineral in red maize. Those compounds are antioxidant, mineral which needed for human health. Maize-based food products contain dietary fiber with antioxidant content hat very needed by health specially to anticipate degenerative diseases. Another challenges of specialty maize are raw materials availability and food diversification support from government. The abundant maize germplasm in Indonesia is adequate to develop, with touches of variety development and cultivation technology that can increase production will transform the special maize become functional food material that has high value. In Indonesia, MOA has released various functional maize such as QPM maize, Provit A maize, waxy maize and purple maize. This paper discussed the development of functional maize research in Indonesia and its contribution for supporting food diversity in Indonesia.